Shardul Thakur or Dhruv Jurel - Who is the front runner to replace Nitish Reddy in the upcoming ENG vs IND 4th Test?

India’s potential all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the five-match Test series against England. His exclusion comes just days before the crucial fourth Test in Manchester, scheduled to begin on July 23.

Reddy sustained a knee injury during a training session ahead of the game. Following the incident, medical scans confirmed a notable ligament issue, making him unavailable for the rest of the series.

The injury is a setback for India, who are already facing pressure to level the series after losing the third Test. With the series delicately poised and India needing a win in Manchester to stay in the hunt, Reddy’s absence adds to the team’s challenges ahead of the critical match.

See Also: WATCH: Team India fielding drills ahead of ENG vs IND 4th Test

Nitish Reddy’s Injury Scares Team India:

Nitish Kumar Reddy might not have big numbers to his name—just 45 runs and three wickets from two Tests—but he made a noticeable contribution in the third Test at Lord’s. Acting as the fourth seamer, he delivered a key over that saw him remove two important English batters, briefly shifting momentum in India’s favor.

With the series currently standing at 2-1 in England’s favor, India heads into the fourth Test needing a win to stay alive. They lost the first Test by five wickets, bounced back with a dominant 336-run victory in the second, but narrowly missed out in the third by 22 runs. Reddy’s injury now opens up a spot in the lineup, and with the Manchester Test fast approaching, all eyes will be on who steps in to fill that role.

Shardul Thakur or Dhruv Jurel- Who Will be the Pick in Place of Reddy:

India could turn to Shardul Thakur as a suitable replacement for Nitish Kumar Reddy in the playing XI. Shardul featured in the opening Test at Headingley, where he scored just five runs and took two wickets. However, his recent domestic form has been promising. Representing Mumbai in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, the experienced all-rounder scored 505 runs in nine games, including one century and four fifties, and also picked up 35 wickets.

His experience in English conditions is valuable—across five Tests there, he has scored 178 runs with three fifties and claimed 12 wickets. Including him as the fourth seamer would help India maintain the team’s balance, offering both bowling depth and batting stability in the absence of Reddy for the crucial fourth Test.

Dhruv Jurel stepped in as a substitute wicketkeeper at Lord’s after Rishabh Pant suffered an injury. Before the Test series, Jurel had caught attention with strong performances for India A, registering scores of 94, 53*, 52, and 28. His presence with the bat is certainly a boost for the team’s lower order.

However, his selection could impact the team’s balance. If Pant doesn’t recover in time for the Manchester Test, Jurel is likely to take over the keeping duties. But if Pant returns and Jurel is picked purely as a batter, India could miss out on a crucial bowling option. The team management will need to carefully assess the situation before finalizing the playing XI for the crucial fourth Test.

As the fourth Test is a do-or-die clash for India, they cannot afford to weaken their bowling unit. The team faces a tough decision—whether to boost their pace attack or add depth to their batting line-up. Their approach for this crucial match will be key in determining whether they can stay in contention and level the series. All eyes will be on the team combination in Manchester.